44 Responses

I don’t know if the majority of the Texans offense is going to “go thru” Andre or not, but I do know what if it WAS NOT going to I sure wouldn’t announce it publicly for other teams to see…..let em’ wonder a little bit.

Andre surely saved them against Jacksonville and Detroit. In those games, it was too much Andre or lose. However, after those two games, the offense was never quite right again. I don’t know why; maybe there was something to McNair’s fatigue theory after all. It took so much exertion to win those games, but the tank (on both sides of the ball) just seemed to empty with no opportune time to refill it.

Like you said, we all want more reliable receiving options, but I suspect Schaub went to Johnson so much at the end of the year, because that was his best option in most cases. Everybody needed to play better at the end of the season, so hopefully we will get a different ending this year.

If you look to the injury report after the Detroit game, it is mammoth. And then down the stretch, 2 out of the 3 TEs were hurt. And then look at the Oline rotation down the stretch with the injuries they had. Right tackle was significantly limited, with Andrew Gardner even getting some time in the first Patriots game on the road. The Texans TE position went from having 3 TEs in the top 15 in efficiency to not having that. Also, the defense wasn’t getting the turnovers they got early in the year. Last year, they played their best when the offense helped their defense and vice versa. They all got hurt at the wrong time. And then the Ravens demonstrated what happens when key players are hurt at the same time, and then get better at the right time.

How Did Only Throwing To AJ Work Against The Top Teams? Where Did It Get You? Who Did You Fool? How Many Championship Games Have You Been Too? Gary Kubiac And The Texans Are Incompetent. The Mortgages The Future To Save Their Jobs. Put Us In Cap Trouble. Have Completely Ignored A Glaring Hole At Receiver For Years!! I Don’t Need To Argue With You , I Know That 58% To One Receiver Is Not Balance And You Will Not Beat Great Teams Or Coaches With That Strategy. Doesn’t Matter What You Think Stephanie, Your Team Is In That Second Tier, And Not Really A Contender For Anything. I Predicted Two Years Ago, The Embarrassing Defeat In The Playoffs. I Have Screamed At The Top Of My Lungs GR Two Years, That Your D Is Slightly Above Avg, No Better And The Team Is So Highly Over Rated It Is Pathetic. With The Holes, And Weak Coaching This Team Is A Joke. Can’t Even Line Up In Front Of All The Receivers, In A Playoff Games, Just Weeks After Playing The Sake Opponent. So Pathetic!! Can’t Wait To Watch Them Fall On Their Faces Again. Looking Forward To Your Disappointment Ms. Stradley!!!

Possibly Mr. Thompson uses a speech to typing format called Dragon Naturally Speaking, which can be made to do that. I use it because when I get done speaking, I’m already spell checked. My only problem is, is the blankety-blank Dragon is a Yankee, and “don’t speak Texican…” although it does start to recognize your personal tendencies and is starting to type with a Texas Twang. It does miss-spell “Dam Yankee.” ( I’m kidding – I did that.)

Awww, sounds like somebody got they wolly pop taken from them….smh… dude your a troll, why are you even on here??? Its simple and I’ll break down slowly so you can comprehend
If you had Michael Jordan on your team, would you not put the ball in his hand as often as you possibly could?? Yes, yes, yes,yes
Andre is the equivalent of MJ on football field, so why not put the rock in his hand and sit back and watch him do his thing.
You Texans haters stink of jealousy and envy, hating on us but WISHING THEY WERE US
#BullsOnParade
Mess wit the bull and you get the horns
Somebody give this baby a wolly pop, so he’ll stop his crying

So everyones bitching about Walter was uncalled for…..I knew Johnson was targeted 158 times because Kubiak wanted him targeted 158 times not because the other wideout wasn’t performing…He was doing the blocking and the picks he was told to do…….let’s see if Hopkins can do the same…

I agree. The reason Kevin Walter did not catch more pases and affect the game more is because he was not targeted more. He was open on a lot of throws that went to Andre and Walter had pretty good hands in traffic. I hated to see him go. That said, Hopkins may be another AJ type receiver for years to come, but we will have to wait and see.

Everyone Bitching about Walter was uncalled for true but the same goes for Jacoby Jones its not a matter of whether or not Hopkins will become the next Andre Johnson its a matter of can Schaub get him the ball a long with the other receivers. I think Walter and Jacoby became scapegoats by idiot fans but its clear Jacoby is a talent its just that the receiver group doesn’t have any one that can get them the ball including Case Keenum and T.J. Yates. The best thing Texan fans can hope for is that we get our hinney’s kick this year so we can get one of the top quarterbacks available. I know thats a losers mentality but then again when has it been about winning with this franchise since they have been in existence but don’t stress the owner is all about lining his pockets than he is winning just look at how he was agressive in trying to get the super bowl to Houston if only he was that aggressive in free agency where would we be think about it folks.

To all the nay sayers, doubters, and just down right Texans haters, all i can say is this “You mess with the bull and you get the horns”
#BullsOnParade
Texans going to dismantle all the opposition this yr. Healthy Dre, healthy Cush, healthy Watt, and a healthy Schaub (dont care what anybody says dude was hiding a injury at end of season). Rest of the NFL, you’ve been given notice 2013 is a H-Town coming out party

You want the ball in your best players hands more than you do your supporting cast. Nothing wrong with that. He was still able to stay healthy and play all 16 games plus the playoffs last year. You would rather have him targeted 40% and have Lestar Jean and Keyshawn Martin targeted more? Give me a break.

I have no problem with a majority of the offense going to Andre Johnson. I have no problem with him getting the ball in double coverage.

My problem is when Schaub throws the ball in double coverage to non #80 jersey wearing players.
My problem is when Schaub throws the ball to Andre in Triple coverage while the other 3-4 receivers stand wide open because the rest of the D is covering #80
My problem is when Schaub gets pressure and he looks like that elephant with the pink too too in the cartoons who rares back on one toe when she sees the mouse and then throws the ball with a limp wrist, wherever.
My problem is when it is 3rd and 3 and Schaub goes to the check down to the player at the line of scrimmage and it becomes 4th and 3 at a rate of almost certainty.
My problem is when it is 3rd and 1 to 3, Schaub DOES avoid the pressure and instead of going for the open space in front of him, panics and throws it out of bounds. You’re 6’5″ man! Falling down gets us a couple yards!
Finally, sigh of relief, my problem is that Kubiak rarely takes a flyer on a post play to anyone not numbered #80. Calculate a high percentage of incompletion and low percentage for a big gain or TD. With one purpose. STRETCH THE FIELD.

Having said all that Steph, you know I am pro-Schaub. He knows the offense. He has the physical tools, despite what people say about his long ball. He has shown major flashes of being an above average QB. Finally, he has the smarts to do the job.

He needs to quit panicking.
He needs to be a better game manager.
He needs to be a better thinker throughout the game.
Kubiak needs to stop being so stubborn with his play calling.

This team has a better than average shot in 2013. I wish they had made a play for Urlacher and Woodson, it would have made 3 coach-types on the field/off, including Reed. What would it have hurt? The salary cap? This incarnation of Texans team has 2-3 years tops. Why not go for it!

I love #80. Always will. When the game is on the line, it is a must he gets the ball.

However, there are a bunch of other dudes lined up eligible to catch the ball and we need to start getting the ball into the hands of the ones who can make things happen other than Johnson. Hopkins, Daniels, Foster. Martin, and here’s a curve ball for you. Who says we can’t resign Walter as the #4 receiver!

Uh dude, I’m pretty sure Kevin Walter will be back at Reliant this year, but it will be when the Titans visit the Texans, and he will be lining up on the side of the line of screamage opposite to our D.

Couldn’t find TC on the Ultimate Texans page, feared you suffered same fate as Lance Z.

All I have to say is,”Fine, Gary, go ahead and tell everyone what you plan to do and dare them to stop it.” Guess that means the Texans will also target AJ just three times in goal-to-go situations in 2013, just like last year.

The two-point conversion vs. NE in the DP Round was just to throw everyone off, right? Game Rewind didn’t show whether Kubiak had his back turned as he does on FGs, but my guess was his stomach was turning backflips at such audacity in play calling.

I have no problems with AJ getting targeted UNLESS IT IS FORCED. I do believe over the years most of Schuabs bad decision picks were where he tried to force the ball into AJ. This offense runs best when there are multiple options.

If AJ is always your first option then it just slants the field and it makes it easier for the defense to defend. Now how much of the AJ targeting is forced or how much is Schuab not having trust for other receivers, especially if Owen D is dinged up, or how much of it is actually called where AJ is the primary I have no clue.

I do believe we need to have more balance as far as other receivers being the primary. AJ is still going to get number of receptions being the secondary read. AJ is an absolute Hall of Fame receiver, no doubt. However I believe that over all the offense is more effective when we have secondary receivers that are a real threat and the defense can’t automatically slant their defense to take AJ away with out fear of getting burned from the other side.

There’s a difference between too big a part of the offense and too dependence on one player. I think the big complaint was the Texans depended on Dre too much, not that he got the ball too much. Teams had no problem rolling coverages to him pretty much the whole game because the Texans had limited options to make them pay for it. What is amazing is the guy still had his typical All Pro year (my 2 cents) despite all of this.

well mrs. stadley i believe in my team no mater what other people think. some fans are still bitter cuz we lost last year so what!! Shaub was hurting at the end of the season you could tell so with everyone coming back healty look out NFL! Bulls on Parade Pt2

That was a confusing read. It’s difficult to express a well ordered opinion. The discussion is vague and there’s nothing to argue about because all the points of view are valid. Arian Foster is a big part of the offense also. Casey and Walter are gone. It’s OTAs, guys running around in shorts. So ok, stuff happens.

Steph its not an issue of going to Andre its more of an issue of becoming predictable and being stubborn when it comes to targeting Andre because none of those triats helps you win. The thing thats not being said is that Andre has lost a step its not a knock on Andre but father time catches us all at some point its just that he no longer commands a double team and really can’t carry a team like he use to remember he is 32 now but if Schaub could catch him in stride on the deep ball it would be a different story. Dennison mentioned how the boot leg didn’t work as well in the beginning which is true but as long as Schaub is your quarterback it won’t work because he is not a running threat not to mention Schaub will run backwards or throw the ball out of bounce before he takes a hit. Steph at the end of the day with this philosphy The Texans will be average at best because a lot of the teams they play have good defenses including the Chargers but don’t expect to much from this team lets just hope we can get a high draft pick so we can get a quarterback because like it or not its make or break for Schaub and this coaching staff this season.

If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it! Having Hopkins, Jean and Kmart will give him more 1on1 coverage. I sincerely hope Kubiak opens up the playbook with some 4WR sets which could wreak havoc on opposing DB’s. Add a TE or Arian to the mix and Schaub will have no excuses to not drop lots of bombs and trust his receivers to make the plays.
Usually QB’s make receivers great (see Tom Brady) not the other way around, but I’ll take it. Foster and Tate have excellent catch/target ratios, same as OD&GG. I don’t think Schaub trusted the young WRs last year.
One more issue to address is the speed of the game. The Pats caught the Texans with their pants down with quick plays. Schaub and Kubiak need to join them or take a lickin’.
I see this year as the best defense ever, so every piece is in place for a Superbowl run, so it’s on the coaches and QB to man-up.

Andre will rarely get 1 on 1 coverage no matter what Hopkins does unless opponents enjoy losing. Problem with 4 WR sets is you need 4 guys you can trust to catch the ball if it comes their way. Are they there yet? Also, when they run 2 TEs, who can both catch, it creates other problems because teams can’t key on run or pass as easily.

Typically, the best Texans offensive games don’t involve trickery. It’s just exploiting matchups. And quick plays have pluses and minuses. You keep your defense on the field too long, eventually they will be exposed. Usually the Texans defense does the best when the offense gets early leads, then has a couple of long soul crushing drives.

Great read as always Steph. This is my first time to contribute but I am a huge fan of your insight. Your last article inspired me to share my own story about what I like to call sports-karma and I just got an account on battleredblog so I can do a FanPost about it. PLEASE go check it out I gave you a shout out.
Also I love me some GREAT ONE. People just don’t understand what our franchise would be like without him and for that much what the league would be like with no Dre. Without his keep your head down and get to business attitude its scary to think we could have a league overrun by TOs and Ochos. I think its sad but it wont be until he is retired that the majority of the fan base will truly appreciate his awesomeness.

I can also remember plenty a time when fans bemoaned them not forcing him the ball on the rare occasions his targets were down. Damned if you do, damned if you don’t in regards to fan opinion. No matter, it’s simply great to enjoy watching the guy on the field, especially now in his prove the doubters wrong phase.

Hey Steph!,
Long time reader first time commenter. Your work speaks for itself just please keep doing what you’ve been doing. I just signed up for a BattleRedBlog account and have a new FanPost also giving your work a shoutout if you wanna check it out.
I see our 5 WR’s in order being Andre, Hopkins, Martin, and Bonner with Posey coming in and contributing midway and Lestar catching on with another team.
As for Dre his work also speaks for itself so people should just be quiet and take it in while we still have the opportunity. I also feel like the league will not fully appreciate the impact he made until he is gone. I believe without his “keep your head down and do your job” attitude the trend of “hey pay attention to me” that Ochocinco and T.O. brought into this league could be the norm for all young guys trying to make a name for themselves. Do you agree or disagree?

Steph,
Like the post. As always, you make it very entertaining to read.
From what I have read the past few weeks, Kubes is high on Jean and Martin .. as well as Hopkins. There will be targets to go to if they can get open. I believe that was the problem with Walters last year. A QB can’t throw it to you if you are not open. Posey started getting open later in the year and it gave Schaub another target .. but if Andre is the only one getting open – Duh! RIDE THAT PONY !!!
Back in Kuwait now .. temp is 114. Man, I miss that Houston weather.
SEMPER FI

The object of the game is to win, and putting the ball in the hands of Andre Johnson is a good way to find those wins. Andre’s targets were actually slightly lower than in 2006, 2008, and 2009 – the only other full seasons he played with Kubiak, but he came up with the most yards of his career. Does that sound like a guy who is getting old or losing a step, as a couple commenters suggested? Andre Johnson getting a high percentage of the catches would be a problem if he were about to leave the team, but since he isn’t going anywhere soon (contracted through 2016?), what’s the problem?

Sure, I’d like to see the other guys do well, but when you need to make a play, you go to your top playmaker. Part of the reason the rest of the group is so young now is that nobody was able to step up in the past, even when Johnson was hurt. Opportunities were there, but nobody could take advantage of them.